Chapter 60: Courtroom Confrontation: Chen Mo Solves the Case! (Please Follow!)

Jinshui Bridge.

An arched bridge spanned the gently flowing river, its entire structure carved from Bai Yu, glinting in the sunlight like a brilliant jade ribbon linking the inner and outer palace.

Beyond Jinshui Bridge lay Fengtian Gate.

This was the mandatory path for civil and military officials entering court.

According to Da Yuan law, there were two court sessions each month: one at the beginning and one in the middle.

Since Emperor Wulie fell ill and became unable to preside over governance, discipline collapsed and the system became a hollow shell.

After the Empress announced her regency behind the curtain, she restored order and changed court sessions to three per month, held every ten days.

On court days, civil and military officials must arrive at the palace before Mao Hour, wait before Jinshui Bridge for the bell, then pass through Fengtian Gate into the Great Hall.

With fifteen minutes still left before entering the hall, officials gathered in small groups, laughing and chatting.

The scene appeared harmonious, but in truth, it was sharply divided.

On the left stood the faction of censors, led by the Censorate and the Givens.

Tasked with monitoring officials and filing accusations, their enemies mockingly called them "Vultures and Hyenas," implying they fed on rotting flesh and never let go once they bit down.

On the right stood the powerful faction, centered on the Six Ministries.

Among them, the Ministry of Personnel stayed out of factional strife; the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Revenue led the pack, wielding both authority and wealth, their spines stiff with power.

…

"Did you hear about the Zuiyue Tower incident?"

"I heard—it was completely torn down… I had fifty jin of top-grade peach wine stored there."

"They say Chen Mo did it—he killed someone and chopped off a Tianlin Guard captain's head!"

"Gah, him again?"

"Worse—Lin's family and Zhou's family are involved too; even Young Master Zhou was forced to kneel publicly…"

"Nonsense! Vice Minister Zhou isn't weaker than Chen Zhuo. How could Zhou Jingan possibly kneel like that?"

"Let me finish—the one who knelt wasn't Chen Mo, it was the medal! That brat somehow got his hands on a Flying Phoenix Token…"

The crowd murmured among themselves.

Zhou Chuanbing, clad in purple robes, stood nearby, his temples streaked with gray, radiating an aura of quiet authority.

His face was dark, grim.

Though the matter had been suppressed, nothing stays hidden forever.

Zhou Jingan being forced to kneel had already spread through the circles—it was a direct trampling of the Zhou family's honor.

Yan Peizhi beside him frowned: "What is the Empress thinking? She merely executed a demon, granted a captain's promotion as an extraordinary reward, and then gave him a Flying Phoenix Token?"

Zhou Chuanbing said gravely: "No need to guess—it's clearly to win over Chen Zhuo."

In his eyes, Chen Mo had no such value—a mere imperial hound—how could he earn the Empress's favor?

"The Empress is foolish. The Chen family is tightly bound to Consort Yu—how could they ever switch allegiances?"

Yan Peizhi shook his head.

Zhou Chuanbing's expression turned fierce: "Today, in court, I will demand an explanation!"

Yan Peizhi's gaze turned cold.

He had been thwarted by Chen Mo time and again before the Empress.

Now Yan Liang remained imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, with many officials implicated.

Though he was his own nephew, Yan Peizhi now only hoped Yan Liang would die quickly—before the fire reached him.

"I've already conceded on the Ministry of Revenue embezzlement case—yet they still dare to push back…"

"Do they really think I'm made of mud?"

…

Boom—

The bell rang.

The noisy atmosphere instantly fell silent.

Officials lined up by rank: civil on the left, military on the right, crossing Jinshui Bridge in order.

Zhou Chuanbing stood directly behind Chen Zhuo.

He cleared his throat loudly to draw attention, sneering: "Lord Chen, you've raised a fine son!"

Chen Zhuo turned and glanced at him, his eyes complex: "Lord Zhou, you… have a fine son too."

?

Zhou Chuanbing frowned slightly.

In the past, whenever Chen Zhuo heard such sarcasm, he'd curse his ancestors to the eighteenth generation.

This time, his attitude was unusual…

Had he surrendered?

Ah—Chen Mo was assigned the demon race case, and now has made zero progress; the deadline is near—he can't possibly deliver!

"Now you're afraid? Hmph, too late!"

"This isn't over!"

Zhou Chuanbing curled his lips into a cold smile.

Chen Zhuo shook his head and said no more.

They passed through Fengtian Gate and entered the Golden Throne Hall.

Above, the dragon throne stood empty; beside it stood a bamboo curtain, thin as a cicada's wing, silk-like in texture, faintly revealing a yellow-clad figure seated behind it.

"Our Emperor, ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years!"

The officials faced the dragon throne and performed the ritual of one kneel and three bows.

Then they kowtowed toward the Empress, "Long live Her Highness, a thousand years, a thousand thousand years!"

From behind the bamboo curtain came a cool, clear voice: "Rise."

"Thank Your Highness."

The officials rose.

Eunuch Jin, clad in a python robe, announced in a loud voice: "Those with matters to memorialize, present them. Those without, retire from court."

"Your subject has a matter to memorialize!"

No sooner had the words fallen than Xu Lin, Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, strode out from the ranks, tablet in hand.

"This humble minister impeaches Yunhe, Battalion Commander of the Celestial Lin Guard!"

"In the case of 'Harboring a Savage Slave,' the accused has been imprisoned for over a month. The case remains unresolved to this day, and he has repeatedly refused joint interrogation by the Three Judicial Offices!"

"I have reason to suspect that Yunhe is shielding the criminal, deceiving those above and concealing the truth from those below! I beg Her Highness to see through his treachery and order him to step down in favor of a worthier man, to set the record straight!"

Xu Lin's voice rang out clearly, echoing through the great hall.

"This minister concurs!"

"This humble minister concurs!"

"Lord Xu speaks reason!"

At a signal from Yan Peizhi, several ministers of the Ministry of Punishments stepped forward to voice their agreement.

Once the clamor subsided, the Empress's calm voice rang out: "Yunhe, is this so?"

From behind, a middle-aged man in a crimson official robe stepped forward, bowed, and said: "Reporting to Her Highness, the Savage Slave case is not so simple — many threads are entangled within it…"

At these words, the expressions of many ministers shifted slightly.

At this moment, Zhou Chuanbing spoke up: "Commander Yun, those words were surely taught to you by Lord Chen, weren't they?"

"According to what this official knows, Chen Mo once interrogated Yan Liang in private. Ever since then, Yan Liang has clamped his mouth shut and refused to confess."

"Could it be that the two reached some sort of deal? Seeking to frame others and drag them down?"

The ministers nodded one after another.

Without ironclad proof, it was to be regarded as nothing more than a desperate attempt to drag others down!

Yunhe said coolly: "Internal affairs of the Celestial Lin Guard — Vice Minister Zhou certainly knows them well."

Zhou Chuanbing narrowed his eyes slightly and snorted coldly: "This official has the case at heart and wishes to share Her Highness's burdens — is that somehow wrong?"

"Besides, Chen Mo's reputation is something this official has long heard of — riding on the merit of slaying Evil Demons Have Merit, he acts tyrannically and lawlessly!"

"He holds a sinecure, shirks his duties, and has made not the slightest progress on the investigation into the demon clan case!"

"And he has abused the gold token, usurped imperial authority, and committed the gravest crime of lese-majesty!"

The gold token bestowed by the Empress did not grant license to use it at will.

In theory, Chen Mo's Flying Phoenix Token could only be used to enter and leave the imperial palace.

To brandish it publicly was indeed a breach of protocol.

The censors present were instantly displeased.

"Nonsense!"

"Lord Zhou, do not muddy the waters!"

"Words must be backed by evidence — how can a court session tolerate a petty scoundrel stirring up trouble?!"

"How dare you — who are you calling a petty scoundrel?"

"You bird-brained bastard, &*%￥#…"

The two sides pointed at each other's noses and let fly, faces red, veins bulging, and for a time every sort of vulgar street language came pouring out.

Eunuch Jin's eyelid twitched violently.

Factional strife in the Great Yuan was fierce, and scenes of "mutual hair-pulling" did occur from time to time.

But for a mere sixth-rank minor official to cause such a commotion — this was truly a first…

Behind the bamboo curtain, the Empress rubbed her brow.

"I gave him the token so he would stand on the right side, but look at him — he actually took it out to flaunt his power?"

"He doesn't take the demon clan case seriously either… When the deadline arrives, let's see how he answers for it!"

She could not help but harbor a few more measures of displeasure toward Chen Mo.

At this moment, Chen Zhuo, who had remained silent all along, straightened his official robe, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:

"Reporting to Her Highness, according to what this humble minister knows, the demon clan case has already been solved!"

At these words, the great hall fell instantly silent!